A Bridge To You
by LornaCat
Summary: What if Flight 815 had landed safely in Los Angeles, and their lives continued on a different course until, like Desmond, they received a seemingly random memory? What about three years worth of memories all at once? Sawyer/Juliet, spoilers through S5
1. Through Time

Spoiler warning/concept: this takes place just after season 5, using the dual plot idea shown in 6x01. So, no real season 6 spoilers since it is all speculative, but it'd probably help if you watched 6x01. If that made any sense then this story just might make sense too. *phew*

It is going to be quite angsty at first but it will lead to a happy ending, I promise!

Summary: This is Sawyer and Juliet, if the bomb reset idea had worked. What if Flight 815 had landed safely in LA and their lives continued on a different course until, like Desmond, they received a seemingly random memory? What about an entire three years worth of memories all at once?

* * *

A Bridge To You

* * *

Rachel woke up to the sound of her sister crying. It was midnight, and Juliet was absolutely hysterical. Rachel rushed from her bed to the guest room, now Juliet's bedroom. She found Juliet sitting up in her bed, still covered by the sheets and blankets as she sobbed and sobbed. She had her knees drawn up, arms around her legs, hugging herself as if she was in pain.

"Jules?" Rachel said, going quickly to the bed and sitting next to Juliet. "Juliet, what's wrong?" Rachel put her hand on Juliet's shoulder, trying to capture her attention so she could calm her down.

"I..." Juliet choked on her words, still crying too hard to make sense. Rachel's heart beat fast, wondering what could upset Juliet so horribly.

"Does anything hurt?" asked Rachel. "Are you sick?"

Juliet shook her head no and cried even harder.

_Mommy?_ came a little voice from down the hall. Julian was awake.

"Oh, sweetie." Rachel said to Juliet, starting to feel emotional herself, though she was still in the dark as to why. Rachel had been instructed by Juliet never to ask about the place Richard Alpert had taken her, but it was too much seeing Juliet like this. She had to ask.

"Was it a dream? About that place?"

"Mommy?" came the little voice again. Rachel turned to see her son in the doorway, and was about to tell him everything was okay and that she'd tuck him back in in a minute, but Juliet was trying to speak and Rachel wasn't sure how long Juliet would last before breaking down again. So Rachel turned to her sister, hand still set supportively on her shoulder, and remained silent.

"It wasn't a dream." said Juliet, her voice shaky and weak. She looked up, and Rachel looked into eyes that were haunted. "It was a memory."

* * *

"Juliet, I gotta be honest with you, what you're saying isn't making a whole lot of sense."

Rachel had finally been able to calm Juliet, getting her out of bed and into the kitchen so Julian could be put back in bed.

"Is Aunt Juliet sick?" Julian had asked his mother. Juliet could hear them in the other room, the walls as thin as paper. The innocent concern in his voice made Juliet's heart ache even more, as did Rachel's deft sidestep and explanation that no, Aunt Juliet wasn't sick, and that it was okay to go back to sleep. Now Rachel was sitting at the kitchen table across from Juliet, who was very aware of how crazy her story sounded.

"I know it's hard to believe," said Juliet. "But it happened. Look at me, Rachel. I barely know what to do with myself. It had to be real. It had to be..." A fresh round of tears began to spill from Juliet's tired eyes as she remembered his face again. "Oh my god." Juliet whispered, covering her face in her hands. Every time she remembered, every time she saw his face in her mind, she would feel another wave of panic. She could feel herself falling, she could feel her heart breaking, she could feel herself letting go of his hand. In the safety of Rachel's kitchen, Juliet squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth, but she could still hear the words that had come from her mouth when she realized she wasn't going to make it.

_I love you James. I love you so much._

"Hey." said Rachel, seeing that Juliet was about to lose it. "Hey hey hey, keep telling me what happened." she said, trying to distract her from the pain. Rachel switched chairs so she could sit right next to Juliet and put a hand on her back for a gentle rub. "So, you and these other people...you thought that detonating the bomb would help?"

"I don't know," Juliet said, frustrated now. The logic that had been used that day no longer made any sense to her, though it was obvious now that it worked. Somehow, the crash of Flight 815 had been prevented, and the past three years had been different for her. Yet, Juliet could still remember another set of events, in which Flight 815 had crashed, the freighter had arrived and been decimated, and the helicopter escaped with four people that eventually made it back to the island...how else would Juliet know that the past three years had been _different _if there wasn't some alternate life being lived? Not only did Juliet's heart ache, but her head was beginning to pound as she tried to wrap her mind around what was happening to her. It was like her life had been split in two, and for some reason, in the middle of the night, it was put back together and she remembered every beautiful and painful moment from both.

One life without James, and the other with.

* * *

James was laying the ground work for his first con in almost three years when it happened to him. Three years worth of memories came spilling back into his brain all at once, causing a rush of emotion so intense it sent him reeling. Everyone in the restaurant turned to look at him when he stood up, his chair tipping and clattering on the floor as he stumbled backward. He felt like he couldn't breathe as the last and most painful image made its way to the surface.

_Juliet. _

_Bleeding._

_Screaming. _

_Falling._

James cried out, tears coming to his eyes as he remembered how it felt when Juliet's hand slipped out of his. The woman that was sitting at the table, and the husband she'd brought along to dinner, stared at him, horrified.

"Tommy?!" the woman said. It didn't get his attention. He couldn't even remember her name, let alone his false one. His eyes were wide open and he looked wild, looking around at all the people as if they were the ones that had done this to him. He had to get out of there.

"Tommy!" that woman called after him as he stumbled away and out of the restaurant. "Your briefcase!"

He'd left it behind. A case full of cash had no meaning anymore.

"Oh god." James groaned, ducking into an alley, making it twenty feet away from the sidewalk before he couldn't take another step. "Oh god." he groaned, as his back hit a wall and he slid to a crouch because his legs would no longer support him. He held his head in his hands, and all he could see was her face. There were so many visions of her swirling in his head, he couldn't hold on to one for more than a few seconds before it was taken over by another. Juliet smiling, Juliet crying, Juliet having an orgasm as she lay beneath him...

_She's gone. I lost her. Why didn't I hold on tighter?_

The guilt was crushing his insides. It hurt to think about those last moments. He wasn't supposed to know this woman, but it was real. It was all so real. There were other faces surfacing too, but none of them made them feel the way that hers did.

"Juliet." James sobbed, his mind trapped in the moment of losing her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

* * *

"You have to eat something, Juliet." said Rachel, her tone hushed. "Please. If you're not going to do it for yourself or for me, do it for Julian. He can tell something is wrong and it's going to freak him out if-."

"Okay!" Juliet whispered. "I'll eat something, just sit down."

It had been three long days since the world as Juliet knew it had been shattered by her own memories. Her appetite had dwindled, and her sleep pattern consisted mostly of nodding off only when she became too tired to think clearly. It never lasted more than an hour before she would jerk awake, adrenaline pumping, wondering what that tightness around her waist was. Then it would all come crashing back again. Juliet preferred to stay awake, rather than face another horrifying revelation.

She hated doing this to her family. She felt more like a burden on Rachel than ever. In this version of her life, she'd left the island six months ago - finally ending an ordeal that she hadn't been able to discuss with Rachel until now - and she'd been staying in Rachel's guest room ever since. She had no home and no job of her own, not yet, and the psychological scars of being held as Ben's emotional prisoner didn't make it any easier to look. Now there was a second version of events to deal with.

Juliet reminded herself to breathe, and she joined Rachel and Julian at the dinner table.

* * *

"Miami." James said gruffly when he approached the counter.

"Sir...?" the female airline employee prompted him, not sure what his actual request was.

"I need to get to Miami, put me on the next free seat."

"Alrighty, let's see what we can do..." she said slowly as her fingers began tippety-tapping at her keyboard. "Would you prefer- "

"I don't care." he interrupted her. "I'll sit anywhere, just get me there."

* * *

"I don't know what I'm going to do. I was having trouble dealing with everything before, but this...this is too much."

Another late night for the Carlson women began after little Julian fell asleep. The wine Rachel offered was helping Juliet's nerves, but it only heightened her depression. The entire story of Juliet and James came spilling out again and Rachel listened to all of it with endless patience.

"I missed you so much, Rachel. But for almost three years, I was happy. I was blissfully contented and happy."

"You were in love." Rachel said, smiling.

Juliet smiled, very sadly. "I _am_ in love." she corrected her. In this life, she'd never met James, but in the parallel life that now seemed to possess her mind and soul, she felt like she'd known him forever. There was not going to be any more sobbing, she was too tired for that, but Juliet was dimly aware of the stream of tears still running down her cheeks.  
"Do you want to try finding him?" Rachel suggested, against her better judgement. She believed what Juliet was feeling was real, but she still didn't believe the circumstances. What if this was some sort of psychological experiment gone wrong?

"I wouldn't know where to start." said Juliet. "If he never went to that island, he might still be...I mean, his name might be different, and..." Juliet trailed off as another scary thought entered her mind. The wine couldn't stop this panic, and her heart beat faster. "What if he doesn't remember me?" she asked, looking to Rachel with eyes full of despair. Rachel thought about that, trying to find a positive way to spin it.

"Well, if this happened to you," said Rachel. "Is there any reason that it wouldn't to him?"

Juliet's panic seemed to subside as she considered this, though even when you were Daniel Faraday, the reasons behind what happened to anyone that stepped foot on that island were never that clear cut.


	2. Reunited

A/N: Thanks go to eyeon for pointing out a typo (:D), everyone that reviewed, and anyone who gave this story a peek. To my DH buddies who are reading my Lost fics even though they have absolutely no idea what's going on: I love you, your support keeps me going!

This chapter is short, but hopefully sweet. I'm still working on a third.

* * *

The next morning, across the street from a house belonging to a Rachel Carlson, James sat in a cheap rental car . He sat in the driver's seat, staring at the house, as if by looking at it long enough it would give him a sign. _Just let her be alive, _he thought. _Alive and happy._ It wasn't really what he wanted, not all of it anyway. What he really wanted was for Juliet to remember every single moment just like he did, to wonder where he was, to be aching for him the way he'd been aching for her.

*

Juliet and Rachel were just getting to the breakfast dishes. It was Juliet's turn to wash, Rachel's to dry, so when they heard a knock on the door, Juliet told Rachel to go answer it.

"It's fine," Juliet reassured her. "There aren't that many left, I'll be done before you get back."  
Rachel smiled, rubbing Juliet's back with a mix of worry and pride for the hundredth time. Her sister was hurting, but she was a strong woman, a survivor for sure.

*

James stood outside Rachel's door, trying to prepare himself for any scenario but the best case. That was his nature, never expecting anything from anyone or any situation. The things he wanted he usually didn't deserve anyway, or so he thought.

A woman opened the door, just enough to peek around it. "Can I help you?" she said.

James swallowed hard down a dry throat, his nerves driving him crazy. Those nerves were obvious to Rachel, who held on tight to the inside door handle. She had family to protect, and this guy looked he could be trouble.

"Are you Rachel Carlson?" he asked, as calmly and politely as he could make it. Rachel opened her mouth to answer, but she only got half a consonant out before realization cut her off. Dirty blonde hair, scruffy five o'clock shadow at noon, more than a hint of Alabama in his voice...he was exactly the way she'd described. He was real.

"Juliet?" Rachel called loudly, not taking her eyes off of the man on her doorstep. Something shifted in his expression, as fear changed to soaring hope.

"Yeah, Rach?" Juliet said as she came from the kitchen. Rachel opened the door the rest of the way, turning when she heard Juliet behind her. Juliet's polite smile dissolved, the shock of seeing him so suddenly overtaking her.

James finally exhaled, not only from his lungs, but with the breath he'd been holding since he'd remembered Miami, and Rachel, and the possibility that she might know where Juliet was. He almost turned away, his heartbeat stolen by the moment, but he knew he wasn't over the last hurdle yet. He looked right into those beautiful blue eyes, facing the worst of his fears and struggling against everything inside of him to keep his voice from breaking.

"Please tell me you remember."

Juliet forgot she was holding a dish towel, and it fell to the floor with an almost comical plop. She forgot her feet were even on the ground, her whole body felt lighter at the sight of him. All the things she hadn't had the chance to tell him were fighting their way to her tongue but she couldn't say any of them. Only his name came out of her mouth.

"_James_." Juliet said softly as she took the first step and propelled herself forward. She was crying when she reached him, when they put their arms around each other and squeezed tight. Their relief was palpable, and Rachel watched in awe as Juliet began to sob, her face buried in James' neck. He squeezed tighter, lifting her off the ground as they held on for dear life.

"I got you, baby." he said, trying to comfort her. "I got you."

Juliet was crying as hard as the night she remembered, but it wasn't the pain of deep loss causing her tears this time. It was release. In the last moment they'd shared together, they'd let each other slip away, letting go of the one thing that mattered most. Juliet cried now because, if James was here, back in her life and still in love with her - if she could just hold on to him this time - it would finally be okay to let go of everything else.


	3. A Lamborghini For The Lady

A/N: I have tattooed the name Carlson on my forehead, so that I will never, ever forget. lol. Thanks again for pointing out my styooopid typos, and still complimenting my writing in a review! I see at least two more chapters in this story's future, so stay tuned. :)

* * *

"Shh..." James said. He set Juliet back on her feet, and leaned back so he could look at her. His hands were trembling in an embarrassingly unmanly way as he held her face, and he let out another shaky breath. She didn't seem to mind. Tears still spilled from her eyes, but she was smiling.

"You look exhausted." he said.

Juliet laughed, putting her hands over his. That look of ultimate worry that furrowed James' brow was just too much.

"So do you." she said. "I haven't been able to sleep since -"

"Saturday? Around nine o'clock?"

"It was midnight here," said Juliet, nodding. "But yeah." She laughed again, and realized she hadn't kissed him yet. They were both alive, together again - they could _kiss_ again. Or would it be for the first time? It didn't matter; Juliet thought only of his lips as she raised herself on her toes and kissed his mouth.

* * *

"So you just, woke up and remembered it?" Rachel asked James. "Like Juliet?"

She leaned forward in her chair, still not sure she believed what had happened. James sat on the couch, on the other side of the coffee table. Juliet sat next to him, her legs curled up underneath her.

"I wasn't asleep at the time," said James. "But...yeah, that's pretty much how it was. 'cept it felt like I was gettin' hit by a truck." His hand reached for and found Juliet's, and they squeezed.

"That's wild." said Rachel in astonishment. "I mean, thank god you're here, but that's just...crazy. You should have seen poor Juliet that night. It was all I could do to keep from bawling myself."

Rachel and James both looked to Juliet. She was smiling, but she was starting to tear up again.

"You gotta stop that, Jules." James scolded her, just teasing. "You're gonna get me started. You don't want to make a grown man cry in front of his girlfriend's sister, do you?"

Juliet laughed, embarrassed, and set her head on his shoulder.

"I've never seen you like this." Rachel marveled.

"I'm sorry." Juliet said sheepishly, swiping at her tears with her fingertips.

"Don't apologize." said Rachel, smiling. "It's just...different. I haven't seen you this happy since you got me pregnant."

Juliet's joy was infectious, and even though James was still a stranger to Rachel, Juliet's obvious comfort and calm in his presence put Rachel at ease. The sisters grinned at each other, and James fell a little bit more in love with the woman at his side. He hadn't seen her like this either - in the company of a person that knew her just as well and cared for her as much as he did. Juliet turned to him and looked into his eyes. He felt connected to her when she did that, like he was open and she could read him with a glance.

"Do you want to meet Julian?" she asked.

James smiled softly, and Juliet felt his thumb stroke the back of her hand.

"I'd be honored." he said. "As long as Mom's alright with that." he added, tipping his head in deference to Rachel.

"Of course," said Rachel. "Go ahead."

"You should have seen _her_," James teased as he followed Juliet up and off the couch. "When she opened the door. I thought I might get another taser to the neck."

*

Juliet led James into Julian's bedroom. It was all decked out in a race car theme. Even his bed was a big, red, plastic racer.

"Julian?" Juliet called out, since he was nowhere to be found.

"Aunt Juliet!" he answered, an excited voice coming from the closet. "I'm finding the Hot Wheels!"

Juliet bit her bottom lip, trying very hard not to start her happy crying again.

"I bought him a set for his birthday." she explained to James. "It got 'misplaced' in that closet and he thinks if he finds it he'll be able to cheer me up. Rachel told me he's been looking since yesterday morning."

James smiled, all ready to admit that it was damn cute, when Julian came running out to them.

"Here's one!" he said, and rushed back to the mess behind the closet door.

"Julian? Buddy?" said Juliet. "We can look for these later, there's someone I want you to meet."

Julian stepped into the room, holding up a car in each hand. "Two, and three." he said proudly. He noticed and glanced at James then, and seemed to grow less sure of himself with a stranger in the room.

"Julian," his aunt said. "This is James. James, Julian."

James smiled and nodded once. "Nice to meet you, Julian."

"Nice to meet you." Julian echoed quietly, not as confident with the new guy as he was with his mother and Aunt Juliet. He wasn't used to having another man in the house, and there was only way to figure out if he even mattered. "Do you like cars?"

"Matter of fact, I do." said James. That was all it took. Julian pulled out an entire drawer of tiny cars to show his new friend and sat cross legged on the floor next to his bed. Juliet sat down next to him, and looked up at James expectantly.

As he took his place on the floor, James wondered how he'd arrived here. In seventy-two hours he'd gone from relapsing con artist to the guy that sat on the floor with his lady and her nephew, playing with Hot Wheels and Micro Machines. It shouldn't have made sense, and yet it felt like the most natural thing in the world to be doing.

James laid out on the floor, propping himself up on his elbow and taking each and every car that Julian handed to him. Juliet watched proudly, making the appropriate exclamations when Julian deigned to look her way.

"Aunt Juliet always gets the pink one." explained Julian, having just picked out the sparkly, magenta Lamborghini from a pile of red and blue sports cars.

"Tell him why." Juliet said, sounding suspiciously like she'd already heard the answer.

'Cause she's a girl." said Julian, as if it should have been obvious. "The prettiest girl." he made sure to add.

Juliet turned to James, a very pleased smile playing at her lips. James' own soft smile widened, and he looked up at Juliet.

"Smart kid."

They looked at each other like that for a long time, while Julian went on chattering about his makes and models. They felt the familiar tug on their hearts. As happy as they were to be reunited, the memories of being torn apart - of Juliet letting go and James being helpless to stop it - were still painfully fresh in their minds. That, and the five minutes they'd just spent not touching felt like drug withdrawal.

*

Ten minutes later, Rachel appeared in the doorway, leaning on the jamb and watching the curious sight before her. She kept catching them sneaking looks at each other, flirting with their eyes and with smiles that made it clear they could read each other's minds. Meanwhile, her son had taken to the man from Juliet's memories immediately. That was proof enough for her that James was a good enough man for her sister.

"Hey Julian: you wanna go to the park now?" Rachel said casually, as if she'd made the plans days ago.

"Yeah!" Julian said right away, scrambling from his place on the floor to his mother's side. "Can they come with us?"

"Nah," said Rachel, smoothing Julian's wild hair. "They're going to stay here, but we'll see them when we come home for dinner. Why don't you go to the bathroom, and we'll head out."

Juliet could see the twinkle in Rachel's eye. Since Juliet didn't know any other way, she tried to do the honorable thing.

"Rachel, it's okay, we can go." she said, quickly lifting herself from the floor and going to the door.

"I know you _can_," Rachel said through her teeth as Julian ran down the hall toward bathroom. She watched and waited for the door to slam shut before adding, "I just thought you could use an hour or two alone."

Juliet's eyes widened, a silent scolding. She didn't dare look behind her; she knew James would be smirking.

"Come on," said Rachel, gesturing toward the front door. "Walk me out."

*

Rachel walked toward the living room to make sure Julian got his shoes on the right feet, and Juliet followed. James lifted himself off the floor, letting the sisters get a head start. He noticed a familiar shape in the pile of Micro Machines, and bent down to snag one.

"I'll get dinner on the way back." said Rachel, opening the front door and letting Julian begin and end the race to the car. "In the meantime, relax, catch up, lay down..." she said to Juliet, lowering her voice for the last suggestion. "Screw his brains out..."

"Rachel!" Juliet scolded her, laughing. Rachel simply smiled and shrugged, seeing nothing wrong with the idea. Juliet's head tilted to the side, leaning on the edge of the door. "You are being oddly supportive considering you just met him."

"I've seen the way he looks at you, Jules. You two are straight out of a romance novel. A very complicated and confusing romance novel."

Juliet was succumbing to another of her sheepish grins, which only grew wider when Rachel mentioned that Julian seemed to like James almost as much as she did.

"If you told Julian the boogeyman had a Corvette, he'd never be afraid of the dark again." Juliet pointed out.

"I might try that!" said Rachel, and they laughed. Then Rachel caught sight of James over Juliet's shoulder. She looked back at Juliet, knowing that she was way overdue for a happy ending. "Have fun." Rachel told her. "And whatever you do, _don't behave_. I'll be back after five."

Juliet sighed, grateful, waving at Julian and then at Rachel when she finally reached the car. Juliet shut the front door, letting it click softly closed before she turned around. James was across the room, leaning against the wall and holding up, between his thumb and forefinger, a miniature rendition of a blue Volkswagen bus.


	4. It Was You

A/N: Thank you everyone that has read, and to those that reviewed thank you for your kind words! It means a lot, this being my first proper Lost fic and all. Suliet is like, **heavenly chorus** so I want to do right by them. :)

* * *

Juliet smiled when she saw it. "Julian hates that one." she said, leaning back against the door. "I never knew why. Maybe he sensed Aunt Juliet's history of laying underneath one for days on end."

"Like I said, smart kid. That means he won't mind if I swipe it."

Juliet's soft smile lingered. "Why would you want to keep that?"

"Why not?"

"I don't know." Juliet said, shrugging. "It reminds me of guns, for some reason."

The corners of James' mouth turned up as he turned the plastic toy over in his hand. "It reminds _me_ of a messy blonde ponytail." he said. "...And a pair of blue coveralls." He closed his hand around the van and turned his eyes up to look at her. _The coveralls I used to peel off of you at the end of every work day..._ was the thought that crossed both minds.

"I remember a whole lot more than those last few days, you know." he said. "I remember good days. Lots of 'em."

Juliet felt her heart skip. She was alone with him, in an empty house, for the rest of the afternoon.

"I know." said Juliet. "So do I."

They looked at each other, very deeply into each other's eyes, knowing exactly what they were going to be doing until Rachel got back.

"Come'ere." James beckoned her. Juliet smiled, because they both knew she didn't take orders from anyone. She went to him anyway; it was Jim LaFleur, Head of Security, after all. She went to him, and he stopped leaning on the wall. He stood up straight for her, and she tilted her head up so their lips could meet.

"Mmm." James growled softly, deep in his throat. He lifted his head, and when she opened her eyes she saw dimples. "I missed those lips." he said. He kissed her again, making every second count. Juliet wrapped her arms around his neck, afraid her legs might fail her when their tongues met in her mouth. She felt his arms snake around her waist, tightening slowly, but she still squeaked when he suddenly picked her up, lifting her off the floor and walking down the hallway toward the bedrooms.

"Which one..." James murmured against her lips.

"This one..." Juliet murmured back. "This one, you're passing it." She giggled as James backed up and backed into her bedroom. He shut the door with his foot, turning slowly, kissing Juliet until he got close enough to the bed to lay her down. Their clothes came off one article at a time, between the kissing and touching and groping, until Juliet and James could wrap themselves in each other and have a real, honest to goodness reunion.

* * *

"Is this real?" Juliet asked. She was lying naked, on her side, under covers, in the arms of a man she wasn't even supposed to know.

"I'm here, ain't I?" James replied, speaking softly. His hand stroked the side of her face, touching her soft skin, hoping that would help convince her.

"I know, it's just..." Juliet struggled to find the words as James traced a line down her shoulder. "At a certain point, there were two lives. The past three years were two lives, and then, suddenly, they both got smooshed into this one, and- "

James inhaled, and Juliet broke off, looking up into his eyes as he sighed.

"The one where I met you, got stuck with you, fell in love with you and realized exactly how much I'd be missing if I didn't have you - that's the real one. Now hush up and kiss me."

James coaxed her mouth open with his, trying to teach Juliet's tongue some new words like _forever _and _always _so she wouldn't have to ask such silly questions anymore.

* * *

"So are you going to take me on dates now?" Juliet murmured sleepily. James could feel her smile, since her face was resting right on him. Juliet was lying on her stomach, snuggled up to James with her head on his chest, resting her eyes after another intense...reunion.

"That depends." said James.

"On what?"

"On whether you plan on payin' for the both of us."

Juliet lifted her head and propped herself up on one elbow. He joked, but he obviously meant something by it, and she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of playing along and asking him to explain. So she watched him, and waited.

James sighed. It wasn't a subject he felt comfortable talking about, but he could afford to embarrass himself in front of Juliet. She already knew the whole story.

"I'm done grifting." he said, using a word that felt dirty when he said it in Juliet's presence. "And there's no hippies around to offer me a steady job. I don't have a nice little house with a picket fence anymore."

"Neither do I." said Juliet. "What's your point?"

It was a comforting, familiar pattern. Whenever one of them started getting too sappy, the other would save the day with sarcasm.

"I'm just sayin..."

"You're 'just sayin' that life isn't going to be like Dharmaville, so I shouldn't expect too much?" Juliet predicted before he could say it.

"As usual, you hit the nail on the proverbial head. So why don't you tell me what you think about it?"

Juliet sighed, and it was a sigh without a hint of frustration. It was pure _what-am-I-gonna-do-with-you _contentment.

"If the three years we spent together on the island was real," she said. "Then I know you. I know you've changed, and it was for the better. But it wasn't Dharmaville that made me love you, James. It was you."

She watched his lips curve into a slow, sexy smile. He liked that. Without warning, James flipped his body on top of her, putting her flat on her back again. Juliet's eyes had a sparkle to them as she gazed up at him. His hand wandered up and down her side, and she lifted her leg to meet him halfway, the smooth skin on her inner thigh gliding against the side of his rib cage.

"Silly James." said Juliet. "Did you really think the I'm-a-worthless-deadbeat routine was going to work on me?"

James smiled wryly. "I was actually workin' up the nerve to tell you somethin'." he admitted.

"Okay." said Juliet. She pushed his long hair back, running her fingers through it, and let her arms hang from his neck. He studied her face, growing serious, and as much as she wanted him to say something silly like they were going to Disney World, she could tell by his hesitation it was probably something far less whimsical. He was beginning to get that look again, and all the soft caressing of her side he was doing couldn't distract her from the fact that he was worried.

_Don't you dare think I won't follow you wherever you go._ thought Juliet. _Don't you dare._

Finally, he spoke.

"I gotta find Clementine."


	5. One More

Juliet stared up at James. There was a question hidden somewhere in his statement, she could see that much in his eyes. He needed her opinion. He needed her to tell him it was the right thing to do.

She felt awkward all of a sudden, like maybe she wasn't supposed to be a part of that plan. Of course it was a good idea; not being close with Clementine was one of James' greatest, lingering regrets. They'd talked about it a lot, in Dharmaville, in a place and time when there was no chance of actually meeting her. Was he asking permission to go?...Without Juliet? She hated the idea of being apart, but who was she to stand in the way of connecting with his only daughter, with his own flesh and blood? She tried to think of something supportive to say, something wise that would make her look good and soothe his fears all at once.

"...Oh." was all she managed to come up with.

James kept searching her face for clues. She was shutting down, creating a facade, and he didn't understand why or what he'd done to cause it.

"Oh?" He repeated as a question.

"That's good. That's a good idea." Juliet said, still fumbling. She felt horrible when James frowned, but she couldn't help it. Cool, confident Juliet from the island hadn't fully fused with insecure Miami Juliet yet, and James could see through both of them anyway.

"Sorry, Jules." James mumbled, though he wasn't sure why he was made to feel that way. "I just thought, with you there, it might be easier. Didn't mean to assume nothin'."

_Oh thank god!_ Juliet thought. She exhaled, almost laughing at her foolishness, but the way she actually expressed her relief only confused him further.

"If you didn't have me pinned right now, I'd slap you."

James' brow furrowed even deeper. Discomfort with the subject was one thing, but now she threatened violence?

"What'd I say?!"

"You made it sound like you were leaving me!" Juliet said, flustered with her own relief.

"Wh-? I was askin' you to come with me! I don't want to be away from you, and since you ain't tied down by a job or nothin'-"

"Of course I'll go with you." Juliet interrupted.

"...You sure?"

"I'm positive."

"Well...good!" James replied, still indignant. "I'm glad we sorted that out!"

They both felt a little foolish, Juliet for letting her doubts interfere with their relationship, and James for not making his intentions clear from the get go. James looked at her, hesitant at first, but when he saw she wasn't angry, only sheepish, his smile came back slowly.

"Don't you worry." he said, lowering his head to kiss her neck. "You ain't gettin' rid of me that easy." he murmured. Juliet smiled, trying to scrunch up her shoulder when he licked her. He heard the spontaneous giggle in her throat, and he gave her neck a big wet kiss before lifting his head to look at her.

"I love you." he said, making it sound like a scolding for doubting his commitment to her.

"I love you too." Juliet whispered, loving the way it sounded coming out of her mouth, for his ears only. She pulled herself up on his neck to kiss him. He lowered them both, pressing her into the bed and kissing her with an emotional hunger that equaled the physical. When they came up for air, Juliet glanced at the clock on her bedside table.

"We should get dressed." she said, even though it was the last thing she wanted. She could have stayed in bed with him like this forever.

"Mmm, no we shouldn't." James murmured, his lips exploring her neck with impossibly soft kisses.

"James..." Juliet sighed, trailing off for a moment when she felt his hand begin to wander down her side again. "Oh...god..." she said haltingly. His tongue, on her neck, and his hands, those wonderful, magical hands... "They're gonna be back soon-"

"Come on, I got one more in me." James said abruptly. He gave her lips a quick kiss before lifting his head and grinning. "And I know I always leave you beggin' for more."

"Oh, wow." Juliet said sarcastically, laughing when James tried to take a bite out of her neck.

* * *

A/N: One more chapter, folks! Unless my vague ideas for further Suliet reunion adventures actually take write-able form. Either way, thanks for reading. :)


	6. A Bridge To You

"Are you sure you have to leave so soon?" Rachel asked Juliet. Rachel was hovering, even though she was trying her hardest not to, in the living room as Juliet carried a suitcase from her bedroom. Juliet smiled sadly, wishing it didn't hurt so much to say _see you later_. The last time they'd parted, Juliet had been gone for almost six years. She was such a huge part of Rachel and Julian's life now. Even though she'd only been back in the States for six months, Aunt Juliet's presence had become the norm, and it wouldn't feel right not having her there.

It had been a month since James appeared on their doorstep. He'd stayed at a motel the first week, but only to sleep, because he spent every waking hour of the day with Juliet, and that happened mostly at Rachel's house. Rachel saw the rhythm they fell into, so natural and complete, like they'd known each other for years. Juliet had to keep reminding her: they had. After that week, a time Rachel considered a trial period, she let James stay at the house. He became a part of their lives too, following the house rules and respecting Rachel's authority in all matters related to living there. She still didn't leave him alone with Julian, and James didn't blame her. He'd never even met his own daughter, much less cared for a child. He was grateful for the chance to watch, learn, and practice with Juliet and Rachel's help. Seeing how they took care of Julian was a comforting and educational experience.

Now he and Juliet were about to set off on a trip to meet Clementine. She was in Los Angeles, with Cassidy, and they'd set up a meeting over the phone. The hardest part for James would be showing up; the hardest part for Juliet was the leaving.

"Come here." Juliet said softly, setting the suitcase down and going to Rachel. She put her arms around her sister, and they squeezed each other tight.

"I'm gonna miss you." said Rachel. "Sooo much."

"Me too."

They let go, and James came into the room looking quite sheepish and guilty.

"You." Rachel said, pointing at him. "If you don't bring my sister back in one piece -"

"You'll kill me, I know." he said. "Believe me, I'm not lettin' her out of my sight."

"I'm not going to be gone forever." Juliet reminded her. "I'll be back before you know it."

"You promise?" said Rachel. "James, make her promise."

"I promise!" Juliet laughed.

"Well you better go say goodbye to Julian. He's probably going to give you a car, or something."

"I know." Juliet said sadly, her heart growing two sizes at the very thought of it.

* * *

They left the house with not only a pink Lamborghini, but a blue 1970 Chevelle with white stripes. James was now officially part of the family.

"Don't forget, you can call me every day if you want to." Rachel called out from the door. "In fact, call me even if you don't want to. I love you Jules! Good luck!"

"I love you too!"

Finally, James and Juliet made it to the car, another rental. With James in the driver's seat and Juliet beside him, they shared a kiss before James pulled out of the driveway and began the long drive west. They hadn't gone five blocks when James turned down a side street and parked the car next to the curb. They were in front of a fire hydrant, but James kept staring ahead, brow furrowed in deep thought.

"James?" Juliet said softly. His hands were clutching the steering wheel.

"Are we sure this is a good idea?" he asked, eyes turning toward Juliet.

Juliet opened her mouth to answer, but she held her tongue before saying anything. James cast his gaze downward again.

"I mean," said James. "Who knows what Cassidy's told her about dear old Dad? Does she even want to see me?"

"Yes." Juliet said without a hint of doubt.

James turned to her again, asking her with a look for a more convincing argument than that.

"You're a part of her, James. You're half of what made her. A mother could tell her daughter that her father is Hitler incarnate and that daughter would still want to meet him." said Juliet.

"And what if, like Hitler, he ain't really worth meetin'?"

"Well, you don't have to worry about that at all, do you? Since you are an amazing man, so worth meeting it's ridiculous?"

He took a deep breath, and some of the worry seemed to drain from his face, the creases in his forehead relaxing. He turned the key and got the car started again, and then turned to Juliet with an appreciative smile.

"You see? I knew there was a reason I kept you around."

Juliet let out a short laugh. "Is that it? I thought it was the sex."

"Good lord, don't say that word out loud." said James as he pulled away from the curb and made a quick u-turn. "Don't even think it. We've got a full day's drive ahead of us."

"I was willing to fly." Juliet reminded him, teasing.

"I know, I know." said James. "But it took me this long just to decide on going. I need these next few days to prepare."

"I understand." said Juliet.

James drove on, and after a few minutes he reached for Juliet's hand. He said a silent thank you that the car they had was an automatic. He'd be able to hold her hand the whole way if he wanted to. And he did.

* * *

_A/N: Well, that's the end of this story. A couple people have expressed interest in a sequel, showing what happens when they arrive at Cassidy's. I can't promise it will be quick, but I do have ideas of how to continue, so hopefully you'll be seeing it soon!_


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